The Life and Letters
of Dr Samuel HahnemannBy Thomas Lindsley Bradford,
M.D.Presented by Dr Robert Séror

Chapter 89.

The rival "

Organons"
Continued
Letters by Madame Hahnemann

The rival "Organons"
Continued

Not
long after this an advertisement appeared in the

German
journals of a forthcoming sixth edition of the " Organon,"
to be edited by Dr. Süss-Hahnemann,
the grandson of the Master.

The preface was printed. It was intended to use the fourth edition of
the "

Organon,"
instead of the fifth, in the preparation of this book.

The fourth edition contains many statements from

Old
School physicians
regarding the favorable action of medicines Homoeopathically, which are
omitted in the fifth -edition.

As soon as Dr.

Süss-Hahnemann
announced this edition, Madame Hahnemann
wrote the following letter to his publishers :

Letters by Madame

Hahnemann

Paris,
23d April, 1865.

Messers. Reichardt and Zander. "

" Gentlemen :

I perceive from No. 14 of the

Allgemeine
hom. Zeitung, of
3d April, that your firm is about to publish a new edition of Hahnemann's
'Organon,' edited by
Dr. Süss,
of London.

I beg to inform you that the exclusive right to publish the said work
belongs solely to me ; and as I possess the manuscript sixth edition of
the

'Organon,'
written by my late husband's own hand,

Dr.

Süss’s
work can have no claim whatever to be considered genuine.

You, as booksellers, are no doubt aware of the stringent laws of

Germany
protecting the copyright of literary works, and therefore this notice I
hope will be sufficient to warn you against the sale of Dr. Süss's
intended edition of the said work.

"I remain, gentlemen,

"Truly yours,

" Mélanie Hahnemann."

Madame

Hahnemann
also sent the following letter to the Allgemeine
hom. Zeitungof
May I st :

Paris, 21st April, 1865.

To the Editor of the Allgemeine hom. Zeitung.

"Respected Sir :

To my great astonishment I perceive in No. 14 of the

Allg.
hom.. Zeit.,for
April 3d, that Dr. Lutze
and Dr. Süss,
of London,
announce the publication of a sixth, considerably improved and enlarged
edition of Hahnemann'sOrganon.'

I alone have the right to publish the sixth edition of the

'Organon
;' I alone possess the manuscript in my late husband's own handwriting of
this important work ; to me alone were communicated all the improvements
which the author made in the 'Organon.'

Dr.

Lutze
never say Hahnemann,
nor was he in any way connected with him. *

"Dr.

Süss,
of London,
saw Hahnemann
twice only ; the first time when a child of six years of age, and
afterwards, when a student in Leipsic,
the day before the death of my husband ; it is, therefore, impossible he
can have obtained from him anything new relating to Homoeopathy.

" Now that it is pretended that something new is known, when it is
intended to make a sort of romance of our holy

'Organon,'
now is the time to publish the genuine and real 'Organon,'
and I shall now send it to press.

Just as no one dares to improve, take away from, or add to the

Holy
Gospel or the other Holy
Scriptures, so no one
should dare to make any alterations in the 'Organon,'
the codex of human health ; it must remain as its

author created it and it should only appear in its pure, unadulterated
truth and genuineness.

"I urgently beg of you to allow this letter to appear without any
alterations in the next number of the

Allg.
Zeitung.

"Your devotion to the true maxims of our beneficent doctrine and
your sense of justice will induce you to grant me this favor, for which I
thank you beforehand in my own name and in that of the true disciples of
Hahnemann.

Süss-Hahnemann
sent to the editor of the British
Journal of Homeopathythe
following :

" 1 West St., Finsbury Circus, London.

To The Editors of the

British
Journal of Homoeopathy.

" Gentlemen :

Youare no doubt aware that, in consequence of my grandfather's

German
works having gone completely out of print, I have considered it my duty,
due alike to the memory of my departed great ancestor as to the cause of
Homoeopathy, to commence a reissue of his literary productions ; the 'Organon,'
as the most important work, has been taken in hand first, and my
publishers in Berlin
have announced its publication to be shortly completed.

" Madame

Hahnemann
seems, however, to have taken great umbrage at my proceedings ; not only
has she threatened to intimidate my publishers by empty threats of legal
prosecutions, but she has also published herself, in the Allgemeine
hom. Zeitung of May
I st, an article by which she unmistakably wishes to damage and lower my
publication in the estimation of my medical brethren.

If the facts stated by her had been correct, I would have remained most
willingly silent, as I believe my own age or personal acquaintance with my
late grandfather cannot in the least deteriorate the value of the

'Organon,'
which I have had faithfully reprinted from one of the previous editions,
which was considered by Hahnemann
himself the most complete (according to my late mother's assertion).

"In common fairness Madame

Hahnemann
should have waited until the work had been published, when it would have
been time to criticize it correctness.

My aunt,

Hahnemann's
youngest daughter, is still alive and in possession of quite as 'valuable
manuscripts as Madame Hahnemann
alleges she herself possesses, and being with her on the most affectionate
terms of relationship, I have always received her willing, and cordial
assistance in all my literary pursuits.

"Madame

Hahnemann
seems particularly anxious to make it known amongst the Homoeopathic
profession that I saw my grandfather but twice in all my life, once when
six years old and the second time on the eve of his death, strongly
insisting therefrom that my edition of the 'Organon'
ought not to be relied upon.

" Madame

Hahnemann
having had little communication with the family of her late husband, I do
not expect her to know much about my humble self, but if she wishes to
inform the word of my young days, I might expect her to be truthful and
correct in her statements.

I was brought up and educated by my late grandfather up to Mademoiselle
d’

Hervilly's
sudden appearance in Coethen,
when I was sent to Halle
to school, and at the time of Madame Hahnemann's
departure with my grandfather to Paris
I was just eight years old ; I was also present at my grandfather's
sorrowful leave-taking in Halle
from the members of his family who had accompanied him from Coethen
to that place.

" Unfortunately, I was only present at the very last dying moments
of my grandfather, not even on the eve of his death, although my late
mother and I had arrived in

Paris
already a whole week previous to this sad event taking place ; a
circumstance Madame Hahnemann
seems to have forgotten, as she does not mention it in her article.

In spite of our most earnest entreaties, in spite of

Hahnemann's
own wish to see once more his favorite daughter, Madame Hahnemann
resolutely and sternly refused us an interview with our dying parent, when
he would have been still able to speak to us and to bless us.

Now, in her eagerness, to damage any forthcoming edition of

Hahnemann's
works, Madame Hahnemann
has betrayed a valuable secret by confessing to possess the manuscript
sixth edition of the 'Organon.'

‘Out of evil cometh good.' I feel highly gratified that I have thus
indirectly rendered a service to the cause of Homoeopathy ; for Madame

Hahnemann
declares herself, after twenty-two years silence, ready to publish this
manuscript.

I hope she will soon do it ; better late than never, although this
neglect amounts almost to contempt of the whole Homoeopathic medical
profession.

"I am, gentlemen, your obedient servant,

" May 30, 1865."

L. Süss-Hahnemann

During
the summer of 1865 the

Faculty
of the Homoeopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania
wrote to Madame Hahnemann stating that the previous English
and American
editions of the "Organon
" were full of errors, and in order that a reliable edition might be
obtained they offered to literally translate the manuscript of a sixth
edition that was in her possession.

When it is remembered that Drs.

Hering,
Raue and Lippe
were at that time members of this Faculty, it can readily be understood
that Madame Hahnemann
could have no just reason for refusing these gentlemen the manuscript of
the " Organon,"
supposed to have been left by Hahnemann.

I
have received the letter which you and the physicians, who signed it, have
collectively addressed to me concerning the literal translation of the 'Organon'
into the English
language, of which the original MS.
is in my possession.

" I am very glad you will make this translation, because then I
shall be certain it will be done with fidelity and perfection.

" It is certainly not from any indifference that I have delayed so
long to say to you how much I approve of your proposition ; this delay was
caused by the desire that I might be able to announce the beginning of the
printing of this book, of which I would immediately have sent you a copy.

" A first copy, though made in my house and from the MS.
proved so faulty and incorrect that it was impossible to make any use of
it.

"Like you, I would not permit that a single word of the sacred
text should be changed. I have consequently been obliged to have a new
copy made and this time in my presence
and under my eyes.

This copy is now making at such hours as I can superintend it ; this
will delay the finishing of it a little.

As soon as it is completed and the printing commenced, I will send you
the sheets as they are printed.

They will be forwarded to you through Mr.

Bigelow,
my friend and your Ambassador
at Paris.

"I regret very much that you have not received my previous
letters, which contained communications respecting some unpublished
medicines, which would have interested you.

" Be kind enough to offer my compliments to the physicians who
joined you in writing to me, and say to them that I honor and esteem them
as -faithful disciples who are intent to promulgate the true doctrine of
the

Master
as be created and perfected it.

" Accept the expression of my admiration for your labors, and my
best wishes for your health and happiness.